


A Very Repeatable Mistake

by Silvestria



Category: The London Life (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Introspection, Regency, kissing cousins, not quite the morning after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7975228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvestria/pseuds/Silvestria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Catherine is in bed with her thoughts - and the Duke of Leighton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Repeatable Mistake

Sixteen year old Catherine Layton was an outspoken and judgmental voice in the head of thirty year old Catherine Kirkfries. It was not infrequent for the older Catherine to wonder what younger Catherine would make of something, usually her own life. In turn, she paid younger Catherine the compliment of listening to her opinions. Younger Catherine was frequently, painfully wrong about many things but she had an incisiveness and clarity about her way of thinking that older Catherine, who understood the nuances of life so much better, appreciated a great deal.  
  
At the moment younger Catherine's emotions were almost impossible to untangle. Pride in her elder self, disbelief that it had actually happened and sheer exulting joy warred within her. Older Catherine felt a real pleasure at having been able to give her younger self what she had wanted so passionately for such a short but memorable period of her life.  
  
And what did she want? She sat up and felt the sheet slip from her naked shoulders, relishing the sensuality of silk against bare skin, and looked down at the man sprawled besides her, fast asleep. He seemed younger when he slept, the lines of duty and care smoothed away. Radiant even, in some subtle way she did not try to understand but felt she would like to. She traced the strong line of his jaw, the curve of his eyebrows, the pink of his lips with her eyes and then followed his neck down as far as she could to where the sheet partly covered him and memory supplied the rest. His arms... She liked to look at his arms and she itched to run her fingers along the muscles in them, smooth them out, caress... She blinked and shifted on the bed. Not yet. She would save that for when he awoke. For now, she wanted - she _needed_ to be alone with her thoughts.  
  
She had thought that this would satisfy her curiosity - for curiosity had been her driving motivation after all (she was not sixteen any more) and the desire had arisen suddenly in the space of a moment. A look, a touch, a movement. She had thought it would satisfy both curiosity and desire, to know him once.  
  
Even sixteen year old Catherine, who had never slept with a man before, was unimpressed by that reasoning. Far from being satisfied, both curiosity and desire craved and demanded more. Longed for it even.  
  
 _Well,_ said both Catherines together, united in their helplessness, satisfaction, and exquisite misery, _this was clearly a mistake._   
  
And something deep inside of her whispered hopefully, _A repeatable mistake?_  
  
Heaven help her, what thirty year old Catherine wanted was right in front of her.


End file.
